Recipes Dinner Seafood Main Course Shellfish Main Course Porco à Alentejana (Portuguese Braised Pork and Clams) 4.8 (6) 8 Reviews With clams from the sea and pork from the nearby mountains, this simple braise speaks to the landscape and diet of Portugal. By Kelsey Jane Youngman Kelsey Jane Youngman Kelsey Jane Youngman is a New York–based cook, baker, writer, and editor for Food & Wine with over 7 years of experience in food media. Kelsey has developed recipes, worked in culinary production, starred in cooking videos, and baked cookies for Cookie Monster.Expertise: recipe development, cooking, baking, food styling.Experience: Kelsey Jane Youngman has spent her life in kitchens, and began her professional training at the San Francisco Cooking School before moving to New York City to attend the Natural Gourmet Institute. She completed an externship in the Good Housekeeping test kitchen and cooked on the line at several city restaurants before joining Food & Wine's test kitchen editorial team. There, Kelsey has managed the kitchens, tested and developed recipes, written feature stories, worked as a culinary producer on multiple video series, and starred in her own series, "The Best Way," as well as several episodes of "F&W Cooks." Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 2, 2026 Save Rate PRINT Share Close Credit: Greg DuPree Active Time: 45 mins Marinate Time: 8 hrs Total Time: 10 hrs 50 mins Servings: 8 Yield: 8 Jump to recipe Cubed pork shoulder and baby potatoes simmer in a tomato-rich sauce for a hearty Portuguese dish with plenty of savory depth.Marinating the pork with garlic, white wine, bay leaves, and pimentón infuses it with flavor before it’s braised until fork-tender.Clams are added at the end of cooking, where they steam in the braising liquid and lend a briny finish; serve with crusty bread for soaking up the sauce. Where was the first time I had it? In Porto’s Matosinhos neighborhood, maybe with some tiny fried fish to start? In Lisbon, before heading out to hear Helder Moutinho sing fado at a bar I can’t remember the name of now? Up the Douro, on one of the many wine trips to that stunning valley? It could have been anywhere, as long as that anywhere was somewhere in Portugal. Clams and pork, mar e montanhas: Portugal is defined by the Atlantic as much as it is by its land. Porco à Alentejana, originally from the southern Alentejo region but now a national dish, brings both together simply and beautifully. Usually the cut is pork shoulder. Paprika abounds. Potatoes are key, because they soak up the luscious sauce, made just briny enough by the juices from the clams. (Half the time you find it with boiling potatoes, half the time with fries.) Get a big pot, some crusty bread, and invite friends. And what about wine? Should it be white, because clams? Red, because pork? Take your pick. Really it just comes down to your mood — peasant food is forgiving — but the last time I made it, I opened a red from Alentejo, and it was beyond excellent. — Ray Isle 25 Portuguese Recipes Inspired by the Coast and Countryside What are Manila clams? Manila clams are small, oval-shaped clams in the Venus clam family. Native to the western Pacific, they have been introduced to coastal regions around the world and are now commercially harvested and farmed, including along the U.S. West Coast. Their relatively small size and tender meat make them well suited to quick cooking, as in this recipe, where they’re added at the very end of the braise and cooked just until they open. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen For the best flavor, marinate the pork in the fridge for eight hours or overnight, as directed. Before cooking, discard any clams with cracked shells or those that remain open when gently tapped; after cooking, discard any that don’t open. Order Pimentón de la Vera dulce, aka Spanish smoked sweet paprika, from thespicehouse.com. Suggested pairing A dry, robust Portuguese red is a great match for this coastal mainstay. Keep Screen Awake Ingredients 1/2x 1x 2x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. This recipe was developed at its original yield. Ingredient amounts are automatically adjusted, but cooking times and steps remain unchanged. Note that not all recipes scale perfectly. Original recipe (1X) yields 8 servings 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes 2 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided 6 garlic cloves, divided 1 cup dry white wine 2 bay leaves 1 tablespoon Pimentón de la Vera dulce 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 medium (9-ounce) yellow onion, thinly sliced 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and crushed by hand 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper 2 cups chicken stock or lower-sodium chicken broth, divided 2 pounds baby Yukon Gold potatoes, halved 2 pounds Manila clams or cockles, scrubbed Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish Lemon wedges, for serving Crusty bread, for serving Directions Season pork all over with 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; place in a large ziplock plastic bag. Smash 3 garlic cloves and add to bag with wine, bay leaves, and Pimentón. Seal and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove pork from marinade and pat dry. Remove and discard garlic and bay leaves; reserve remaining marinade. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add half of pork and cook, stirring once or twice, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer pork to a plate. Repeat with remaining half of pork. Chop remaining 3 garlic cloves and add to Dutch oven with onion and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil; cook, stirring often, until golden, about 6 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, red pepper, and reserved marinade. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, 3 minutes. Return cooked pork to Dutch oven; stir in 1 cup stock until pork is mostly submerged. Cover and bake in preheated oven until pork is fork-tender, 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours. Stir in potatoes and remaining 1 cup stock. Cover and bake until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Transfer Dutch oven to the stovetop over high heat and add clams. Cover and cook until clams open, 3 to 5 minutes. (Remove and discard any unopened clams.) Season with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with lemon wedges and crusty bread. Make ahead Pork may be prepared through Step 3 and refrigerated overnight. Reheat before proceeding with Step 4. Originally appeared: September 2019 Cook this recipe and more in the MyRecipes app. Get the App Save Rate Print Loading shell for RecipesUgcThreaded1 Vue component in Globe.